I can’t believe it is National S’mores Day is almost here! How quickly this summer this summer has flown by. I also can’t believe how long it has been since my last blog post, tisk tisk to myself. In celebration of National S’mores Day I will be offering 40% off any boxes of S’mores online! I also want to celebrate S’mores Day in person with you and will be doing something special for all you farmers market and retail shop customers too. Aaaand, because National S’mores Day falls on a Saturday and not a weekday this year, I am extending the sale to the Friday before! So many exclamation points!!

So here’s how you can celebrate National S’mores Day with Sweet Lydia’s:

Online: use the code SMOREDAY13 at checkout. Unfortunately the discount code will not apply to custom orders or any products other than S’mores. Another day, another discount. All National S’mores Day orders will be shipped between Monday and Wednesday of the following week.

At The Groton, Alston, or Andover Farmers Markets: Individual S’mores will be sold for $2.50 at all three farmers markets so stock up!

In the Sweet Lydia’s Shop: S’mores will be sold for $2.50 both Friday and Saturday and we just might roast up some make-your-own s’mores on Saturday.

When I saw this most stunning New York Magazine photoshoot, I simply could not peel my eyes away.

Talk about eye candy!

This is what I feel like doing in my shop, just lounging in a mound of giant candy.

Check out her rock candy crown. For behind the scenes look at the shoot and inspiration there is a video filled with even more candy magic! Check out the full article here, it was so had to choose just a few images.

I was turned onto this amazing chocolate project from La Grange Epicerie Paris by Junkculter, the hub for all things way too cool for me. I was mesmerized by the video the way I used to be when I was a kid looking through a kaleidoscope.

How cool would it be to get one of these in your Easter basket?

Time is running out to take advantage of our 20% off sale online! Get in while the getting is good with discount code SPRING.

I recently shared about a Kickstarter backer who was using his custom created Sweet Lydia’s candy bar to propose to his boyfriend on Valentine’s Day. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting them both in person. I had the added bonus of providing the location for the sweetest engagement shoot ever, photographed by the lovely and talented Anne Ruthmann. They got to see my new kitchen and the chocolating equipment that Jimmy’s pledge helped purchase.

There is this small, strange, two way mirror in the middle of the wall, that has no actual function because the walk-in fridge is pushed up against that wall. Or at least I thought it didn’t serve a purpose until I saw this picture.

Here is the actual key that inspired the candy bar name and label!

I love this picture so much. They just look so happy. Like they are about to eat candy bars . . . I mean live happily ever after.

Jimmy’s Key To My Heart candy bar will only be around for a limited time, so don’t wait to get yours. This one of a kind candy bar is almond shortbread topped with dried cranberries and pineapple jellie candy, covered in dark chocolate and topped with almonds. If I was a betting woman, I would guess this guy will be back in town next February but you can never be sure. To see all the pictures, visit Anne Ruthmann’s Facebook page here.

You have until Friday to take 20% off your online order with discount code SPRING.

I just saw the above image on pinterest and had to share it. Even though it is rainy here in Mass today, it is warming up and starting to feel like spring. We started making our hand-piped homemade marshmallow peeps again with Easter right around the corner, and these little birds really lively up the space. And we are offering 20% off orders placed this week with discount code SPRING just to brighten your day. In an attempt to “spring clean” I am working on accounting today, catching up on everything I missed while getting the shop up and running and trying to get ahead for 2013. Boy am I happy I took a 2 minute pinterest/blog break and found these fun flowers. Check out more about how to carry flowers in daily life here.

I might have reached the pinnacle of my candy making career . . . my candy bars were used as a marriage proposal on Valentine’s Day! This story starts long before Valentine’s and might just make you tear up so get some tissues ready. I ran a kickstarter project back in November to raise funds for equipment for my new retail store front and commercial kitchen. The reward I was most excited about was for bakers to create their own one-of-a-kind candy bar to be named after them and sold in store and online. Six lovely bakers picked this reward and submitted their ideas for their candy creations in early January.

A few days later I received an email from one of the bakers elaborating a little on what he was thinking about for his candy bar and well, I’ll let him tell it . . . “If you are amenable to it, I was thinking of incorporating the candy bar into my marriage proposal to my boyfriend, Thomas. I know you could name the candy bar after a person, but I was hoping for “Key to My Heart”. The name is a reference to a family tradition from my family. At age 13, kids are given a key that represent the key to their heart. The key is held onto until you meet that person who you want to have the key to your heart. I will be using my key, instead of a ring for the proposal. My thinking was to explain the name of the candy bar and the proposal would follow the explanation.”

I seriously got chills when I read the email and spent the next week trying to make his candy bar taste as sweet as the proposal would be. The “Key to my heart” candy bar consists of an almond and dried cranberry shortbread topped with pineapple jellie candy, enrobed in dark chocolate and topped with toasted coconut and slivered almonds. The first round of shortbread was not almond-y or craisan-y enough, and the first round of pineapple jellies was not the right consistency.

I really wanted this candy bar to be as perfect as possible, not just because I only want to put deliciousness on my shelves, but because this sweet creation was going to be part of a marriage proposal. Could you imagine my shame if the proposal was issued and the newly engaged couple bit into a just OK candy bar? I would hate for a new engagement to start off on a sour note when it should be the sweetest.

I used a picture of the key on the label. I also included two extra “test” candy bars with a special message.

Here is a picture that Jimmy posted on facebook.

It just makes me so happy to be a part of this wonderful moment in two people’s lives. It’s not everyday that you get to create a special candy for the sole purpose of sharing love.

The Key To My Heart candy bar will be available online very shortly for a limited. Who knows, this might be one candy bar that makes an appearance for Valentine’s Day every year.

This post, like most of my posts, is long overdue. I held a grand opening party on the 23rd! and it was SO AWESOME. It wound up being 8 degrees and windy out that night and I was worried no one would show. If I didn’t have to be there, I probably would have stayed home bundled up in a blanket.

I used the back windowsill that is usually full of products for sale to display trays of samples.

The amount of support and enthusiasm was overwhelming and I am grateful everyday for the best customers ever.

My retail space is not that big so it didn’t take a ton of people to pack the place. The store was bumping and full of squeals of sweet tooth excitement.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the evening, courtesy of Howl In Lowell. This little lady told her mom that I need to hire and train her so she can make all my products. I can keep working at the counter, thank goodness, but she’ll be in charge of the kitchen.

This little ribbon made the opening official, held by Danielle the head of the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce and Lowell’s Mayor, Patrick Murphy! I think this picture was taken as I got to the wire ribbing that was a little tricky to cut through, even though I had crazy huge scissors.

OK, maybe this is my favortie picture of the night, snagged my Jen for the Mayor’s blog, of me and my husband towards the end when things started to quiet down.

If you haven’t made it by the shop yet, we are open 7 days a week (M-Sat 11-6, Sun 11-5) at 160 Merrimack St in downtown Lowell. See you soon!

It’s not like you really need an excuse to throw a party but I figured opening a candy shop is a good one. I opened the doors to the Sweet Lydia’s retail store front on November 19th and it has been an awesome ride so far. I had no idea what to expect as far as foot traffic, sales or how all my products would be received by Downtown Lowell. I was blown away by the all the first-time-turned-regular customers, the enthusiasm of long time customers. It has been a pleasure meeting regular online, Brew’d and Lowell farmers Market customers for the first time as well as all the fabulous bakers from Kickstarter who have come in to pick up their rewards. So many of those amazing customers asked me that first week when I was having my Grand Opening. There was no way I could have organized an event while trying to get my retail legs under me and survive the crazy holiday rush at the same time.

Here are some pictures of the previous two s’more parties I’ve hosted just to get your salivary glands going.

This party was hosted at Brew’d Awakening to celebrate my 1st year in business.

I still have a ton of planning and making to do (and a bit of cleaning and organizing) before I am ready for the big party on Wednesday night. I’m sure it will all get done somehow. There are still a lot of kinks I am working out in the shop and I am sure more will come up along the way. I’ll be sampling lots of my new goodies at the party so make sure you stop by Wednesday night from 6:30-9:00pm at 160 Merrimack St in Lowell. I’ll be sure to post some pictures after the event for those of you who can’t make it.

Thanks for all of your help and support getting me to where I am today!

When in need of inspiration, Aussie Amy Moss’s stylish blogeatdrinkchic.com is one of the first places I look. The combination of whimsy and elegant simplicity in her work makes each piece fun, and her DIY ideas are unbeatable. And I can definitely relate to her desire to make life less vanilla — mango-blood-orange-white-chocolate-spice candy bar, anyone?

The best thing about getting inspiration from Amy is that her blog has tons of free, printable paper products like these here dessert-themed 2013 calendars. There is no way January won’t be sweet if you’ve got this purple popsicle on your wall. She’s got cupcakes and gingerbread men, donuts and sprinkles galore.

Just home from a long day at an amazing show in Rhode Island and had to share a snap shot or two of the debut of my new packaging and branding. I worked with the crazy talented team at Worstofall Desings to create a more cohesive brand and a better packaging system for all the fragile goodies covered in chocolate. What do you think? Did they do an amazing job or what?

Not sure if you can tell but the back drop for those s’more labels is the pattern I painted on the wall of the new shop, which is coming along and should be open soon! Just so many exciting things happening here at Sweet Lydia’s as we ramp up for the holiday season. I have a hard time getting into holiday mindset this early. Personally I hate that stores start playing Christmas music the day after Halloween, but professionally I want people to start thinking about my products as early and as often as possible. Sorry for the Christmas tangent when I started out swooning my new design.